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Low

Cost

Elementary 

School-Oriented

Middle 

School-Oriented

A walking club invites students to start their day with physical activity and a healthy breakfast.

Objective 

Raise students’ awareness of the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and staying active all year round, and motivate 

them to incorporate physical activity into their lives through fun group activities.

The Event

Students, school staff, families, and community members can form a walking club that meets regularly before school. To kick 

off the program, schools can hold an event that includes a guided walk and a school breakfast. The program leader begins by 

saying a few words about the benefits of physical activity and a healthy breakfast, and leads the walkers on a designated and 

well-marked route. Participants can gather in the cafeteria after the walk to enjoy a healthy school breakfast. 

Planning

Decide how the club will work. Teachers, the school nurse, members of the wellness committee, and parents can serve 

as the walk coordinators. Involving students in the planning process can also strengthen the program. Make decisions about 

how often your club will walk, how far each walk should be, what routes to take, and how to keep your club safe when walking 

outdoors. Meet with local law enforcement and perhaps a local traffic engineer to identify safe routes for walking. Consider 

launching your walking club in conjunction with Walk to School Day in October, then hosting walks at regular times throughout 

the school year, both indoors and outside. 

Plan club events. Select a regular date and time to meet. You may also consider walking at school, such as around a 

school track, field, or gym. Map safe walking routes, gaining approval from your school administration. Coordinate with the 

school nutrition director, particularly in terms of the kick-off event, as it may bring additional participants in for breakfast. 

Get the word out. Promote the event through the school’s public address system, newsletter, and Web site, as well as in gym 

classes, where students can also learn about walking safety. Use outdoor signs to promote your activity and alert drivers. For 

more ideas, consult the list of promotion tips (see page 3).
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School

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Prior to the walking club’s launch, encourage all members of the school community to 

participate in walking events. You can distribute the Healthier Middle Schools materials (see 

appendix, page 98). 

Invite the principal, classroom teachers, and other school staff to lead or join a walk.

Pair older and younger students together so that everyone has a “walking buddy.”

Classroom

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Kindergarten teachers can use Discover MyPlate’s Lesson 6: Let’s Play, Let’s Party to 

promote physical activity through song and dance, story, and role-play (see appendix, 

page 94).

Elementary school teachers can introduce the Serving Up MyPlate curriculum (see 

appendix, page 94) to raise awareness about the connection between healthy food 

choices and physical activity. Middle school classes can explore Team Nutrition’s 

Nutrition Voyage: Grade 8, Trek 1: Finding Fitness (see appendix, page 95).

In art classes, students can create footprint cut-outs or color copies of the school mascot to 

post as signs along the walking route. 

In math class, students can measure the distance they will walk individually or as a group. 

If the school has access to pedometers, students can track the number of steps they take. 

Teach children about pedestrian safety using free resources from the National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/everyoneisapedestrian/

index.html.

If your school is an elementary school, display the Launch Your Day With Breakfast poster 

(see appendix, page 96). 

If your school is a middle school, display the You Control You breakfast poster (see appendix, 

page 96).

Cafeteria

•	 Invite school nutrition staff to participate in the walk and speak briefly at the breakfast about 

the types of healthy breakfast foods served every day at school. Provide handouts about the 

School Breakfast Program (see appendix, page 101).

Community

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Ask local figures, such as team mascots or the mayor, to join the walking club on specific days.

Ask businesses to provide donations, such as water bottles and shoelaces. 

Consider asking retired members of the community to volunteer and join the walking events.
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Team Up for Success (cont’d)

Media

•	 Invite a local TV anchor to walk with the students and film the event for a feature segment.

Home

•	 Encourage families to join students on the morning walks, as well as incorporate walking into 

their home routines. Post resources for family breakfast planning on the school’s Web site, 

such as FNS’ videos and widgets on milk and whole grains (see appendix, pages 98-99) and 

Core Nutrition Messages: Especially for Mom materials (see appendix, page 101). 

At Stafford Elementary School in Stafford, KS, students 

learned about walking safety and the importance of physical 

activity and a balanced breakfast. Then, on National Walk to 

School Day, the students walked to school together and were 

led by the middle school drum line. Everyone received a free 

nutritious breakfast upon arrival at school, and families were 

encouraged to walk together. 

Southeast Polk Junior High in Pleasant Hill, IA, encouraged 

students to join a walking club and walk on the track surrounding 

the football field after they were finished with lunch. During the 

winter months, the indoor gym was also open for walking. One 

fall day, the students were surprised to find that the mascot of the 

Kansas City Chiefs, the Kansas City Wolf, wanted to lead the club 

around the track for several laps.

Fort Huachuca School District in Arizona has taken advantage 

of its community resources by partnering with soldiers at Fort 

Huachuca to hold a walking club every other Friday during lunch 

recess. Troops typically conduct 5 minutes of stretching with the students, and then they all walk for 20 minutes before going 

to lunch. One year, pedometers were used with the second grade students as they “walked to San Diego.” The students and the 

community have enjoyed their walking club so much that the school plans to make it a weekly event in the future.

In Fort Scott, KS, a “walk and talk” program for middle school students invited different grades to walk each day before school 

for 18 minutes. During the walks, music played over the public address system. Students tracked the number of laps they 

walked and converted the distance into miles, and awards were presented at mile markers and marathon goals. Close to 

450 students participated, and many of them found they could walk farther than they originally anticipated.

[Photo] Fort Huachuca students and their families enjoy 

walking together each week.